AAP Storm in Khemkaran

The announcement of Sarwan Singh Dhunn as the halqa in-charge of Khemkaran Vidhan Sabha constituency by the AAP has created a storm in the party circles not only in Khemkaran area but also in the district. The halqa in-charges are considered to be the possible candidates for the forthcoming election.

About nine years back, Dhunn was in the SAD and was ousted from the party for one or the other reason. He joined the Congress about six years back and had applied for ticket for the 2017 Vidhan Sabha election but it was denied to him. He joined the AAP just two months back and was among the two halqa in-charges declared by the party high command recently for Tarn Taran district.

The second name is of Laljit Singh Bhullar for Patti. The party was yet to declare the names of the rest two constituencies that include Tarn Taran and Khadoor Sahib.

In Khemkeran Vidhan Sabha constituency, more than eight candidates are active, who aspire to contest the 2022 election. These include Jasbir Singh Sursing, Surjit Singh Bhura, Gurdev Singh Lakhna former district president, Gurwinder Singh Beharwal district President , Dilbag Singh Kale and others. After declaring the name of Sarwan Singh Dhunn as the halqa in-charge, other leaders organised a meeting and condemned the party decision and decided to apprise the party leadership of their resentment. All is not well in the Patti constituency too, where eligible leaders tore the posters of each other.

Still Udta Punjab?

About two weeks back, Kulchhinader Singh (38), a resident of Patti town, Ward No. 11, died of drug overdose. His body was recovered from the Patti grain market in morning. He was married and had two kids. The injected syringe was seen left in his pulse as intoxicated injection reacted the very moment and he died on the spot. Gurinder Singh, father of the deceased, openly alleged that there was no truth in claims by officials and the ruling party leaders that the drug menace was under control. He said many drugs were easily available in the town and the area, despite tall claims by the state machinery. He said not only this; even impure drugs such as spurious liquor too were being sold on a very large scale in the market. He also said some of the top leaders were sheltering drug peddlers and even the police were well aware of this but were helpless to act as per the law. DSP Kuljinder Singh said the police were doing their best to act against the drug peddlers and the move would be intensified against the drug peddlers in the coming days. He claimed that many drug peddlers had been arrested by the Patti police in the last few days. In Khawaspur village, where an addict man killed his addict son, too was a worrying aspect. Father Harjinder Singh told the police that his son Devinder Singh (35), who was killed in the incident, was also under the influence of drugs as was his son. He said Devinder demanded more money from his father for drugs and when he denied to oblige him, the man attacked his son, who later died in the attack. In Chhapri Sahib village, death of Harpal Singh (35) of Chhapri Sahib, too compounded the situation of drug menace. His body was recovered floating in the village pond a few days back. Gurpreet Singh, Shamsher Singh, Gurwinder Singh and Jaswinder Singh have been booked in this regard by the police. Sohan Singh, father of the deceased, told the police that his son and others were habitual addicts.

Who cares?

Despite tall claims by Tarn Taran MLA Darambeer Agnihotri that grants worth crores have been spent on the development of Tarn Taran town, the condition of a stretch of the road at Jandiala Guru Crossing has not been revamped over a period of more than four-and-a-half years. It is the entry point of the town from different stations. In the rainy season, this portion gets filled with knee-deep water and during the dry days, dust clouds are seen blurring the vision of the passers-by here the whole day. The work on this stretch might be completed with just lakhs of rupees rather than crores.

— Contributed by Gurbaxpuri